Frisco Feeding & Speech Therapy

𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕?

Verbal routines are phrases and sentences that are repeated throughout an activity. You might be familiar with a few, like: “1, 2, 3” or “Ready, Set, Go”.

𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨:

🧠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. Verbal routines give kids the context they need to understand a word.
👂 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬. Kids need repeated exposure to language before they can understand or use it.
❓ 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭. When kids know what words come next, it can encourage them to “fill in the blank” by saying the words themselves.

What’s a verbal routine you use every day? Let us know in the comments!

Breanna is an amazing speech therapist and gives great tips on how to practice skills at home! You can see more about this family’s experience below:

𝑀𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑀𝑠. 𝐵𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑎 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒. 𝑆ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒. 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑀𝑠.𝐵!

If you’ve had a great experience with Breanna or another clinician at FFST, drop some love in the comments!

Did you know you can practice self-assessment while drawing?

☝️ 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲. Choose something appropriate for your child’s age. For instance, an older child might want to draw their favorite cartoon character. For a younger child you might choose a simpler drawing like an animal, house, or car.

💬 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤. Let your child know that for this exercise, you’ll be trying to make your drawings look as close to the original as possible. Not all drawings have to be exact copies! But, today you’ll be working on self-assessment.

✏️ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠! Take 10 minutes with your child and sketch out your chosen picture. Remind your child that it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time - this is just an activity to help their brain grow bigger and stronger!

👁️ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭. Look at your original picture again. Compare and contrast it with your own drawing. What looks the same? What doesn’t? Then, have your child do the same.

🧠 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞! If you wanted to make your drawing look exactly like the original picture, what could you change? Discuss out loud together. Then, choose one thing to change in the next round.

🔁 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭! Try this exercise a few times in a row. You might find your self-assessment skills getting stronger as well as your drawings getting a little closer to the original each time!

Drop a “🖍️” in the comments if you’ll be drawing with your kids this week!

𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔?

👁️ 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥. Talk out loud about how you solve simple problems. For instance, as you get ready to go to the grocery store you could say, “Last time I forgot to get eggs… I don’t like when that happens! I don’t want to forget anything this time. I think I’ll write a list so I remember.”

❓ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. After an activity, ask your child some easy questions. “What was hard? What was easy? What would you change next time?” This helps kids get used to thinking about their own work.

📋 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭. The contents of the checklist will vary based on the task. As an example it could include things like, “Did I brush my teeth? Did I put my folder in my backpack? Did I fill up my water bottle?” This can make it easier to review everything later!

👍 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. Remember, self-assessment isn’t about pointing out what’s wrong. It’s about learning and growing! If your child is frustrated about a task, it can be helpful to wait for a moment of calm before talking about what could go better next time.

Drop a “👍” in the comments if you’ll be practicing self-assessment this school year!

𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕? 🤔

Self-assessment is thinking about something you’ve done or a task you’ve completed.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
🟢 How did I do?
🟢 Do I like how this turned out?
🟢 What went well?
🟢 What didn’t go so well?
🟢 What can I change next time?

𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟:
🔴 Making the same mistakes over and over.
🔴 Getting stuck on one plan, even when it’s not working.
🔴 Giving up if you can’t solve a problem right away.
🔴 Not understanding 𝑤ℎ𝑦 something isn’t working.
🔴 Feeling frustrated.

Learning how to self-assess helps kids understand their strengths and weaknesses.

This helps them grow and become more independent problem solvers.

And that’s why self-assessment is a huge part of our executive function therapy sessions!

What is something that you learned to get better at? Let us know in the comments!

DFW Child Magazine has announced their 2024 Mom Approved Wellness Providers. Congratulations to our clinical team for receiving 𝟏𝟖 𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬!!!

We are so lucky to have such a great group of therapists!

Nursery rhymes are great for building early communication skills! This is because…

🔁 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐲. This makes it easier for children to remember. Nursery rhymes are a powerful combo of language and play routines!

🤩 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝'𝐬 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. It's hard to be bored when singing “Five Little Monkeys”? Nursery rhymes are great for building joint attention!

⏸️ 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞. For instance, you could say, “The itsy bitsy spider went…?” Wait and see if your child will fill in the blank with “up”!

🦶 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. When the spider goes up the spout… Your hands crawl upwards! When the monkeys jump on the bed… So do you and your child! This can help kids better understand the words they are hearing.

What was your favorite nursery rhyme as a child? Let us know in the comments!

My toddler likes to move around a lot. Is it still okay for me to read books with them?

𝑨𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚!

Try some of these tips when reading with your child.

🖐️ 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬. Think books with flaps to lift and different textures to feel. This can help kids get excited to look, touch, and engage with books at reading time.

🖼️ 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬. You don’t have to read the words on the page! Instead, point at interesting things you see or talk about what the characters are doing.

🦶 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲. If the characters in the book are hiding, you can hide under the covers with them. If the characters are jumping, you and your child can jump on the bed!

🗺️ 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝. It’s okay if your child only wants to read a few pages before moving on to something else. You can always come back to the book later.

Remember, there is no “right” way to read with your child. The goal is to build engagement and enjoyment around the world of reading.

What was your favorite book as a child? Let us know in the comments!

Does your child get excited to tell a story, but have trouble providing enough context so that they’re understood?

Try these tips to give your child the tools they need to tell more detailed stories!

👁️‍🗨️ 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬. Talk about the way things look, sound, feel, smell, and taste. A car doesn’t have to just be a car. It can be red, tall, and loud. A cookie isn’t just dessert - it’s bumpy, sweet, and delicious!

❓ 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝟓 𝐖’𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇” 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. Who, what, when, where, why, and how details are important in any story. You can ask prompting questions like, “Who else was there?” and “Where did you go after that?” when your child is telling a story to help them give more detail.

🟢 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. Use story prompts or sentence starters to guide kids into adding details. For instance you could say, “You’re right! We did go to the zoo! When we went to the penguins, it was…” and let your child continue, focusing on what made the penguin habitat special. This helps kids practice expanding on initial ideas.

Drop a 🖐️ in the comments if you’ll be using these strategies with your kids!

Alexis is a top notch SLP with a knack for connecting with her clients and providing excellent parent education. You can see more about this family’s experience below:

“𝑀𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑥𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑡 𝐹𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜 𝐹𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑐ℎ 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 10 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑠. 𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠ℎ𝑦 2 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒. 𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑐ℎ ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑝 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟! 𝐻𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑚𝑠 𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑤. 𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑢𝑠𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑛’𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒. 𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝ℎ𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑢𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑂𝑁𝐿𝑌 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑤 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑣𝑖𝑎 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑃𝑟𝑒-𝐾. 𝐸𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑.”

If you’ve had a great experience with Alexis or another clinician at FFST, drop some love in the comments!

Play the “And Then…” game to practice storytelling and sequencing!

📖 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬. You can use pictures from your latest family vacation or even snap a few quick pics the next time you head to your local splash pad.

📖 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲. Pull up your first picture and narrate. “Look at this! First we drove to the splash pad… 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 we found our friends!”

📖 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. “We started getting out our water toys 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏… hmm. What happened next?” Use your pictures to help jog your child’s memory.

📖 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬. “You’re right! Your friend brought a ton of water balloons! 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 we all helped fill them up. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏…?” Keep going until you get to the end of your story.

What fun adventures did you have with your kids this summer? Let us know in the comments!

Any parents out there who feel like they’re moonlighting as a detective? Try these tips to make after-school catch up easier for you and your kids!

✋ 𝐀𝐬𝐤 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. From drop off to pick up, a school day lasts about 7 hours. That’s a long time! Thinking about everything that happened can be overwhelming for kids. Try swapping general questions like “What did you do at school today?” for more specific ones like “Who did you sit with at lunch?” or “What did you play in PE?”

✋ 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬. For instance, “What did you play during recess? Tag or soccer?” Answer choices can reduce cognitive load and make it easier for kids to respond. It can also give them a starting point for telling you more about their day!

✋ 𝐁𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠. Kids need time to process questions and think about their answers! After giving your child some time to think, you can ask follow-up questions to help guide them along the story of their day.

What’s the funniest thing your child has ever told you about their school day? Let us know in the comments!

We had a great time at the clinic kickball tournament last Friday! FFST staff had the chance to show off their athletic skills!

Loryn is a rock star of an SLP! We are so happy to hear about this family’s experience with her here at the clinic. If you’ve had a great experience with Loryn or another clinician at FFST, drop some love in the comments!

The 0-10 scale can be an effective tool in feeding therapy - where 0 is a super easy food and 10 is extremely overwhelming. We like using the 0-10 scale because:

𝐈𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. When we ask a child where a food ranks on their personal 0-10 scale, it lets our kids know we are seeking understanding.

𝐈𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲. The 0-10 scale allows kids to express what is challenging for them in a more precise way - it gives us way more information than “yucky” or “yummy”!

𝐈𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞. With more precise feedback, we’re able to better identify patterns of difficulty and the types of support that are most effective for each individual child.

Out of curiosity… What would you rate 🍄mushrooms🍄 on your personal 0-10 scale? Let us know in the comments!

We have these Keekaroo chairs at our clinic because…

🌱 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝. With a twist of an Allen Wrench, you can adjust the seat or the footrest in 1-inch increments to achieve the most comfortable position for your kiddo.

🧼 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧. We all know mealtimes can be messy - and feeding therapy can be too! Luckily, these chairs are easy to wipe down with a cleaning cloth.

📐 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. Keekaroo chairs provide a backrest and footrest. Since the chair is adjustable, it can help children sit with their hips, knees, and ankles bent at 90 degrees for an ideal sitting and eating posture.

You should always do your own research and check in with your feeding therapist when considering a new tool or strategy to make sure that it will be the best fit for your child. But, these are some of the reasons why we have Keekaroo chairs in the clinic!

Would you use a Keekaroo? Let us know in the comments!

Maroon Spoons are a great tool that we use during feeding therapy!

😋 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚 “𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭” 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞. For kids with pediatric feeding disorders, this can help them from feeling overwhelmed by too much food at once. The bowl of the spoon is also nice and shallow, which can help kids get all of the food off of their spoon more easily.

👄 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡. Maroon Spoons are smooth and have rounded surfaces - great for little mouths.

💪 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞. Maroon Spoons are BPA free and can be tossed into the dishwasher. NOTE: The exception is that Maroon Spoons are not recommended for kids with a strong bite reflex.

⏲️ 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞. Using the same spoon during mealtimes is one way to help build a consistent, comforting mealtime routine.

🥄 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. Maroon Spoons can be easy to hold for both adults and kids. You could consider giving your child one to hold while you feed them with another.

As always, you should always do your own research and check in with your feeding therapist when considering a new tool or strategy to make sure that it will be the best fit for your child. But, these are some of the reasons why we like using Maroon Spoons!

Would you use a Maroon Spoon? Let us know in the comments!

Got some spare storage bins or tupperware in the house? 📦

Try filling them with dried rice or beans. Add plastic shovels, toy cars, and other fun things into the mix. Then, get to exploring! Dig into your rice and beans with shovels or bury your toy cars in them.

You can also swap out the rice and beans for other textures like cold pasta, baked beans, or smooshed banana.

This activity is another great way to help kids get comfortable with different textures and smells. This sensory exposure can help kids prepare to try new foods!

We are so happy to hear about this family’s experience with feeding therapy at FFST! If you’ve had a great experience with Nicole or another clinician at FFST, drop some love in the comments!

Let’s play a game of True or False with Pediatric Feeding Disorders (PFD)!

𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 - 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉.
❌𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐒𝐄! If eating is hard enough or painful enough for your child they 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐭 even if they are hungry. Gastrointestinal or sensory deficits can make eating extremely uncomfy - if not physically painful. Oral motor impairments can make chewing and swallowing exceptionally effortful. Prolonged issues in these areas can also lead to anxiety surrounding mealtimes.

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓.
❌𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐒𝐄! Pediatric feeding disorders can affect children of all sizes. We’re not necessarily looking at a child’s weight when assessing PFD, but at their ability to consume a nutritionally balanced diet in a functional, stress-free way.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏’𝒕 𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉.
❌𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐒𝐄! If your child has PFD, this does not mean you are a bad parent. And if being stricter means force feeding - this can actually cause more anxiety around mealtimes! Although part of feeding therapy is teaching kids how to manage challenging situations, this is done in a systematic way that meets your child where they are at!

𝑷𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄 𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆.
✔️𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇! With a skilled feeding therapist on your team, your child can make progress with the sensory, oral-motor, and cognitive-behavioral skills needed to achieve functional feeding skills.

What are some signs that my child might have a Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD)?

⛔ 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐬. This could be a sign that a child struggles with the sensory aspect of eating. For instance, a child might only eat crunchy, salty foods and reject any food that does not meet that profile.

⏱️ 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝. This could be a sign that a child struggles with the oral-motor aspect of eating. A child that struggles in this area might chew on their food for a long period of time, be unable to chew with their mouth closed, or not be able to swallow their food unless they wash it down with some water.

⏱️ 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬. High anxiety around mealtimes could be a sign that a child struggles with the cognitive-behavioral portion of eating. For instance, a child might run away if presented with a brand of mac and cheese that they aren’t used to or start to panic at the idea of going to a new restaurant.

PFD is a treatable medical condition - and it’s not the same as picky eating. If you found this post helpful but still have specific questions or need individual guidance, head to the link in our bio to visit our website! You can also contact our office staff at (469) 297-6340 or [email protected] to schedule an evaluation or a free phone consultation.

What is a Pediatric Feeding Disorder? It is defined as impaired oral intake that is not age-appropriate, and is associated with medical, nutritional, feeding skill, and/or psychosocial dysfunction. There are so many different components that can affect a person’s ability to eat safely and functionally - and a good treatment plan will aim to tackle all the areas that are affecting your child.

You can check out the official article defining Pediatric Feeding Disorders in the January 2019 issue of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (cited below).

Goday, Praveen S.; Huh, Susanna Y.; Silverman, Alan; Lukens, Colleen T.; Dodrill, Pamela; Cohen, Sherri S.; Delaney, Amy L.; Feuling, Mary B.; Noel, Richard J.; Gisel, Erika; Kenzer, Amy; Kessler, Daniel B.; Kraus de Camargo, Olaf; Browne, Joy; Phalen, James A.. Pediatric Feeding Disorder: Consensus Definition and Conceptual Framework. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 68(1):p 124-129, January 2019. | DOI: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000002188

We will be closed today, Thursday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. Have fun and stay safe!!!

Lindsey is exactly as this sweet parent says - absolutely awesome! We are so lucky to have her on our staff as an occupational therapist!!! If you’ve had a great experience with Lindsey or another therapist at FFST, drop some love in the comments!

Start preparing your teens for adulthood with FFST’s Executive Function Workshop! This week-long workshop will focus on improving your teen’s ability to set goals, persevere through challenges, use impulse control, manage their time, and make decisions. Don’t miss out on your chance to enroll your teens in the last few slots we have available. Scan the QR code in this post or click on the link in our bio to register!

Don’t miss out on your chance to enroll your kids in the last few slots we have available. Eat, Talk, Play Academy is a 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩 that integrates skill development in the areas that FFST does best - 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲! Scan the QR code in this post or click on the link in our bio to register!

We couldn’t agree more with this testimonial! If you’ve had a great experience with Matti or another therapist at FFST, drop some love in the comments!

How can I help my kids put two words together? Let’s look at some examples!

If your kiddo loves cars, they might frequently point and say, “car!” When your child labels, the car, you can respond by saying things like:

📌Car go!
📌Fast car!
📌Car in/out (of a garage)!

This will help show your kiddo different words they can add to the ones they already know!

Did you find this post helpful but feel like you’re looking for more? If you have specific language concerns in mind or need individual guidance, head to the link in our bio to visit our website!

How can I help my kids put two words together? Add a word to what they’re already saying! We know it can be hard to know exactly what kind of vocabulary to add. If your kids are mostly saying nouns, think about describing what the noun is 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠, what the noun 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞, or 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 the noun is going!

This will help you create the following types of word combinations:

📌Noun + Verb
📌Noun + Adjective
📌Noun + Preposition

My speech therapist keeps repeating what my kid says, but changes it up a bit… What’s up with that?!

Your therapist might be employing a strategy where they add one word to what your child is already saying! Repeating what your child says and adding one word can help to:

📌Teach your child to put two or more words together
📌Build your child’s vocabulary
📌Help your child feel that their communication was acknowledged
📌Move your child’s language beyond labeling and requesting
📌Create connections with their environment